It is generally known to provide a contoured profile of a bottom surface for a portable device such as a portable scanner/reader for logistics environments. Such contoured profiles are typically moulded as integral to the housing of the device. The contoured profile of the housing helps to provide comfort to the user when holding the device during operation. Further, bottom surface projections of the housing can be present, in order to provide enclosures for various components of the portable device, such as for batteries, antennas, and other scanning/reading components that operate in a wireless fashion. Another typical reason for the contoured profile of the housing is for stylistic reasons to help differentiate the look of the device from other device products available in the marketplace.
A disadvantage of current portable terminals is that the contoured profile of the bottom surface may not provide a stable platform for the terminal when placed on an adjacent work surface, such as a table, by the device user. One desired mode of operation of the device by the user is to operate the user interface of the device while the device is positioned on the adjacent surface (e.g. table). Unfortunately, the same contours that provide for ease of holding for the device do not provide for stability of the device when operated on the adjacent surface. It is typical during operation of the user interface (e.g. pressing the touch screen and/or keys of the keypad) for the device to rock or otherwise wobble on the adjacent surface, thereby making operation of the user interface difficult for the user. One solution is for the user to hold the portable device steady on the adjacent surface with one hand while operating (e.g. pressing) the user interface with the other hand. However, the disadvantage of this mode of operation is that the user must use one of their hands to steady the device, thus providing for only one handed operation of the user interface.
Another disadvantage is that current devices, when placed on a work surface, do not facilitate stable operation of the user interface by one hand of the user while the other hand of the user is used to manipulate one or more objects (e.g. papers, writing implements, etc.) other than the device. Accordingly, it is recognised that operation of the contoured device can be awkward when placed on the adjacent work surface.